bravejemma | IC Inbox

You thought you were doing the right thing and wanted to make him feel better. It'll blow over in good time.

[She puts a hand to Peter's back, and rubs gently.]

Yeah.

( Peter says into his hands and then slides them down his face. )

I- uh. I know it must be hard, but you do a really good job of- of taking care of people, taking care of Fitz and that's really important. So I just wanted you to know- uh. Thanks. For doing that.

Yeah.

[She answers him in kind, with a bit of a sigh. She'd sort of always been that way -- why, she wasn't so clear on.]

It's easy to take care of people you love, Peter. People who care about the ones who have hurt them, or do so with no hope of any gratitude or recognition or reciprocation... that's the hard thing. The brave thing.

[It's something he and Fitz have in common, she thinks.]

I think they can both be hard in different ways. I've seen you be plenty brave.

( Peter thinks going head to head with any asshole on the network is pretty damn brave along with everything else she does. He clears his throat and pushes himself up to his feet shakily, breathing in, forcing himself to find footing again except it's not very effective at all. Mostly it feels like these invisible walls are trying to crowd him, and he needs to hide. Or find somewhere else to be sick, because he doesn't know what to do with half the things crowding around in his head. )

I- I gotta go. Are you gonna be okay?

Peter--

[She jumps up to her feet as well.]

I'll be fine-- what about you?

Yeah.

( His voice cracks a little. He shakes his head and clears his throat, shifting from one foot to the next with that nervous balled up emotion at the center of his chest. )

I'll be fine. I'm just worried.

[Well, that's plain enough to see. Since he hadn't run away yet, she took that to mean it would be okay to step forward and put her arms around Peter, who desperately needed comfort of some kind.]

( Peter tenses at first when Jemma's arm goes around him. Part of him thinks about just running really fucking far, but the other part can't- doesn't. He lifts his arms slowly until they wrap around her, and his expression crumples against her hair where she can't see. When he speaks, his voice is low and tired. A hint of a joke within the tone, more than a hint of an acknowledgement of all she's had to go through lately. )

Rough couple of months, huh?

[She hums in response. Couple of months? It had been longer than that.]

You joined this program already in progress, I'm afraid.

( It'd been much longer than that. Bonnie leaving. Was that the start? There was Faith dying. There- There's been a lot. He pulls back when he can trust his expression to be calmer than he feels. )

Thanks, Jemma. ( He means that. She didn't have to come out here, and- ) Like I said, take care of him and you, okay?

( It's said quietly before he slips his hands into his pockets and heads in. to the mansion. to his room. )

IC Inbox | Entranceway

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